Why not student unions in universities? | PST recruitment test

Why are universities reluctant to revive student unions?
Karachi, May 19: It has been more than a year now since Prime Minister Yousuf Raza
Gillani announced the restoration of student unions, which were banned in 1984
by General Zia-ul-Haq. The announcement was welcomed with enthusiasm by
students, teachers and parents, while some skeptics registered their
reservations.

There are, however, no signs of the restoration of student
unions and it is evident that the majority of vice-chancellors (VCs) and
teachers are against it. In a recent meeting of VCs from public sector
universities at Islamabad, most of them spoke against the restoration of student
unions, citing issues of law and order in the campus and expressing fear that
student unions will be "hijacked by political parties."

University of
Karachi (KU) VC Prof. Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui said that the
atmosphere at the university was "not congenial enough" to allow the restoration
of student unions. "Students are in disarray. A gap of 25 years is long enough
to erase the democratic system from the minds of students. I am not against the
student unions but I fear the rise in violence if unions are revived," he
said.

Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science & Technology (FUUAST)
Faculty of Arts Dean Dr Hasan Waqar Gul thinks otherwise. "We should allow
students to assume leadership and for that we have to be the guiding force. We
should teach them the finer qualities of (student) unions and how to manage
their affairs. Depriving them of their basic right of self-governance in
educational institutions is not the solution," he said.

Islami
Jamiat-e-Talaba (IJT) Nazim Noman Burney thinks that the universities are not
willing to revive unions, in order to control students with their draconian rule
and deprive them of their rights to manage their affairs through elected
representatives. "Universities have been addicted to the absolute powers they
hold. Now they are unwilling to let that power slip through their hands," he
said.

Karachi University Teachers Society (KUTS) Secretary Dr Shakeel
Farooqui, the last president of the Karachi University Student Union (KUSU) in
1984 thinks that students are not in a position to be given the mantle of
leadership. "Times have changed. A quarter of a century is a very long time to
erase any quality that is not used in that period. Students, now, are immature,
less educated (in manners and disposition) and they are not aware of the merits
or demerits of student unions. It will be disastrous to hand leadership over to
them," he said.

Former chairman of the Department of Mass Communication
in FUUAST, Prof. Tauseef Ahmed Khan, entirely disagrees with the premise. "I do
not agree that students should not be exposed to unions. When will students
learn? Who will teach them the qualities of leadership? If teachers, who are, or
should be the best friends of students continue shirking their duties who will
come to teach them," he asked.

NED University of Engineering and
Technology Registrar Engr Javed Aziz Khan was of the opinion that students were
"away" from student politics and had become accustomed to this state of affairs.
"They should be introduced to the concept of trade unions in a gradual manner.
They have to be taught to behave, prove worthy of a place at an institution of
higher learning, then expect to manage their own affairs," he
said.

Chairperson Department of Islamic Learning at Jinnah University For
Women (JUW) Prof Surayya Qamar was sure that "it is not the right time to hand
over the unions to the students. They are not trained and they will become tools
in the hands of the political parties. We should begin with Student Councils.
Provide guidelines to the students and teach them to become good students – both
in their studies and in their behaviour. Only then we can expose them to the
unions".

82,714 candidates to appear in PST recruitment test today
Hyderabad: A total of 82,714 candidates would appear in the primary
schoolteachers (PST) recruitment test in nine districts of Sindh on Tuesday
(today).

The University of Sindh announced on Monday that the PST test
would be conducted at the headquarters of the nine districts, where 18
examination centres had been set up for that purpose.

In all, 64,705 male
and 18,009 female candidates would appear in the test, which would start at
10:30 am. The university has been conducting the test in the first phase at
Ghotki-Mathelo, Jacobabad, Qambar-Shahdadkot, Kashmore-Kandhkot, Khairpur,
Larkana, Shikarpur, Sukkur and Thatta districts.

It has formed vigilance
committees to inspect the arrangements made for the test in the districts.
Various teams of the university have reached the district headquarters to
conduct the test. The News

Coop between exam boards, Education department needed
Karachi: Coordination between examination boards and the Education
Department is needed in Sindh. This was stated by Pir Mazhar ul Haq, Provincial
Minister for Education, Sindh.

He was inaugurating a week-long workshop for
research officers from examination boards across Pakistan held at the Aga Khan
University Examination Board (AKU-EB) on Monday.

The AKU-EB and the IBCC
(Inter-Board Committee of Chairmen) are collaborating on improving the quality
of examinations at selected Boards of Intermediate and Secondary Education from
all over Pakistan.

Research officers from Sukkur, Larkana, Mirpur Khas,
Mardan, Bannu and Multan are attending a week-long workshop from May 18-22. The
Officers are being exposed to how examination papers, based on academic
standards for what students should know and be able to do, can be
composed.

The aim of these series of workshops is to reduce the differences
in evaluations between various regions and boards of the country and to bring
standards-referenced assessment into their procedures, leading to the
establishment of standards in the Secondary and Higher Secondary School
Certificate.

AKU-EB's role is to facilitate and provide BISEs with the
technical support and training required to both define and then implement the
standards to be maintained in education.

On this occasion, international
support is being provided by Dr Yolande Wright from the Caribbean Examinations
Council. IBCC Secretary, Ramzan Achakzai spoke about the value of activities
aimed at strengthening examination boards and how these officers can help
improve standards in their own institutions. He said such inputs will help in
creating a conducive environment for the establishments of standards across the
Boards. In addressing the AKU Examination Board staff, the
Provincial Minister of Education Pir Mazhar ul Haq expressed his commitment
towards increasing transparency and accountability in public examinations and
looked forward to the outcomes of the serious attempts being made by IBCC and
AKU-EB, under the Ed-Links project, for the strengthening of the local exam
boards.

A strike on students
Karachi: Citizens of Karachi have been suffering the strikes since 90's and the trend
still continues unabated. Irrespective of the seriousness of issue and its
repercussions, the first form of every protest is calling a strike thus putting
all activity on halt. The situation is further exacerbated if the students are
going through their exams. Students study the whole year in the hope of better
future prospects. Exams are the implementation phase of their entire career
planning and a ladder to their future success.

The unavailability of
transport and poor law and order situation during strikes poses a serious threat
to their personal safety making it almost impossible to reach the examination
centers. Recent calls of strike on 8th of May from transporters and 12th May
from major political parties in Karachi were detrimental for the future of
thousands of students due to appear for their examinations. -Ali Ammar, via e-mail (The Nation)

Karachi University suspends three professors
Karachi: The University of Karachi has finally issued orders for
suspension of three senior teachers on charges of plagiarism in accordance with
the decision of its syndicate.

The services of Prof Dr Jalaluddin Ahmed
Noori, the dean of the faculty of Islamic Studies, Prof Dr Saeed Arayne, the
chairman of Chemistry department, and Prof Dr Najma Sultana, a former dean of
the faculty of Pharmacy, who was currently teaching at the department of
Pharmaceutical Chemistry, were suspended on Monday.

A termination letter
was issued to Dr Zakia Bibi, a cooperative teacher at the department of
Chemistry, on charges of plagiarism.

The university also issued a
warning letter to Faiza Abdur Rab, a lecturer at the department of Food Science
and Technology, for wrongly accusing a teacher of plagiarism.

Meanwhile,
Prof Dr Akhtar Saeed and Prof Dr Zahida Maqsood were appointed dean of the
faculty of Islamic Studies and chairman of Chemistry department, respectively,
till further orders.

The committee's findings
were later approved by the university's syndicate in its meeting on Saturday.
The syndicate decided that the teachers should be suspended and a formal inquiry
be instituted against them.

It may be recalled here that Dr Noori is
also accused of holding two identity cards with different dates of birth. He
allegedly changed his date of birth from 1950 to 1956. On this allegation, Dr
Noori was once demoted from professor to associate professor. However, he was
exonerated of the charge in a subsequent inquiry. Dawn

KU announced BDS supp exams from 25th
Karachi: The examination department, University of Karachi has announced that the first
professional BDS Supplementary Examinations-2009 will be held from May 25 to
June 4 at the Department of Microbiology. The timings will be 2.30 pm to 5.30
pm. The News

'SMI to be upgraded to university level'
Karachi: Federal Minister for Education Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani
said on Monday that the Sindh Madressatul Islam (SMI) College would be upgraded
to the level of a university.

He said this while addressing the faculty
and students of the SMI at its premises. Bijrani said that the SMI would be
awarded the status of a university during the present government's term. "An
ordinance was issued by a governor of Sindh in 1990s for university status for
the SMI and a draft charter was also prepared for it but after 1999, the whole
process was stalled. Now the present government will give university status to
this historic institution without any delay," he maintained. app